Teen charged with death by vehicle

A teen who was charged in the death of a North Lincoln High School student last year following a wreck in the northeastern part of the county is scheduled to appear in district court on Tuesday.

Authorities said 16-year-old Travis Kennedy Cannon was driving a Honda Civic that carried three other teens down N.C. 150 last May, including 17-year-old Haley Shay Campbell, who was riding in a back seat.

Cannon allegedly swerved into oncoming traffic to avoid rear-ending a second vehicle that was stopped at an upcoming intersection at Henry Dellinger Road. A large truck traveling in the opposite direction collided with the Civic, resulting in Campbellâ€™s death, troopers said. The other three teens suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Cannon was later charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle. Authorities noted that he had been driving with a provisional driverâ€™s license at the time of the incident and was only allowed to have one other person in the vehicle rather than three.

Since the fatal crash, Campbellâ€™s parents have been pushing for changes along that stretch of roadway, and officials with the North Carolina Department of Transportation have been studying traffic patterns in the area to determine what particular changes to implement.

DOT officials have already double-indicated the roadwayâ€™s “stop ahead” sign and oversized the areaâ€™s stop signs. In addition, Campbellâ€™s parents said they would like to see a flashing caution light installed above the intersection, a full traffic signal in all directions and area road signs that read “dangerous blind intersection ahead.”

A Haley Campbell Memorial fund has been established since the teenâ€™s death. All proceeds benefit Latta Plantationâ€™s Kids Rein Therapeutic Program for Children with Disabilities. Haley was passionate about the program because of her great love for horses, her parents said. To make a donation, contact Teresa Tucker at (704) 701-4711, Phyllis Smeaton at (704) 740-6720 or visit www.kidsrein.org.